Chaini Parwani –
Published On: December 11, 2021 at 10:40 IST
The Supreme Court on Friday relegated the administrative the task of constant monitoring of ambient air quality in Delhi.
A Bench comprising of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Surya Kant directed the Commission for Management of Air Quality over NCR and Adjoining Regions to consult NCR states, while determining scores of Plea by Industries, Builders and Hospitals for resumption of Construction Activities as well as provide resolution for reopening of Schools.
The Bench stated “If the State and Central governments had taken required steps and strictly implemented the anti-pollution norms before our shouting, we would not have been forced to pass orders. Now to say everything is permitted would be going back to square one. We are not talking about any hospital construction or industry. The Commission knows what is going on and it will pass necessary orders for relaxation of norms.”
The Order came into light when Advocate Vikas Singh, representing Petitioner Aditya Dubey for Builders’ Association sought resumption of construction activities, stating that the air quality has become better as the pivotal pollution period is over.
Further Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sternly interrogated, “On whose behalf Singh is saying air quality has become better – the petitioners or builders?”
Furthermore, Mehta informed the Court that the Expert Group initiated by the Commission, possessing domain knowledge and intelligence in the field of Meteorological Conditions impacting Air Quality, are in operation of finalising an Air Quality Forecast Model in terms of the Air Quality Index (AQI), using WRF-Chem Forecasting model.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta stated “The system would also be able to predict 7-day air mass inflow and outflow of Delhi which would in turn help in planning suitable actions that can be taken in advance to curtail any adverse air quality scenario.”
The Commission stated that assessment of performance of available statistical models for forecasting air quality is likely to be completed by December 15 and that a new statistical model is under development.